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All Things Considered / The Why

There's more to every story if you take the time to tell it. The Why gets to the "why" behind an issue that matters in your community, diving deep to give you a fuller view – and an illuminating listening experience.

Daylin’s dilemma: Why Daylin Leach’s political career may be derailed by sexual misconduct charges

Pennsylvania state Sen. Daylin Leach has been dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct for almost a year, causing him to end his bid for Congress. Now, he’s suing one of his alleged victims. Leach’s story raises troubling questions about whether allegations of sexual conduct should be enough to end a politician’s career. And why is Leach standing firm even as members of his own party call for him to step down? On today’s episode of The Why, senior reporter Dave Davies provides the latest details of Leach’s saga.

For more information, you can read about Cara Taylor’s allegation of a 1991 sexual assault in a criminal complaint she recently drafted and an associated timeline of events. The Lehigh County District Attorney’s office declined to investigate the complaint because the statute of limitations has expired. Leach’s defamation suit against Taylor and two others is available here.